Piped opening for use in a garment

ABSTRACT

This disclosure is directed to a piped opening for use in a garment and an apparatus for making the opening. The piped opening comprises corresponding die-cut slits or cuts formed in the front and facing portion of a garment with the flap or flaps defined thereby being reversely folded inwardly of the respective front and facing portions to define a corresponding opening therein. An edging patch having a complementary slit or cut and reversely folded patch flaps is secured to one of the portions with the patch flaps positioned contiguous to corresponding flaps of the adjacent portion to form a partially piped opening. The front and facing portions and then reversely folded to dispose the edging patch therebetween with the respective opening defined in each, disposed in coaxial alignment. The front and facing portions are then secured.

United States Patent Cruden, Jr.

[15] 3,654,635 Apr. 11,1972

[54] PIPED OPENING FOR USE IN A GARMENT [72] Inventor: John L. Cruden, Jr R D. 1 Marvin Hollow Road, Walton, NY. 13856 [22] Filed: June 22,1970

[21] Appl. No.: 47,950

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 739,812, June 25, 1968, Pat. No.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,713,686 7/1955 Osteretal. ..2/266 3,536,554 10/1970 Weiss ..112/264X 3,547,060 12/1970 Lepore ..2/266 Primary Examinerl-l. Hampton Hunter Attorney-Arthur T. Fattibene [57] ABSTRACT This disclosure is directed to a piped opening for use in a garment and an apparatus for making the opening. The piped opening comprises corresponding die-cut slits or cuts formed in the front and facing portion of a garment with the flap or flaps defined thereby being reversely folded inwardly of the respective front and facing portions to define a corresponding opening therein. An edging patch having a complementary slit or cut and reversely folded patch flaps is secured to one of the portions with the patch flaps positioned contiguous to corresponding flaps of the adjacent portion to form a partially piped opening. The front and facing portions and then reversely folded to dispose the edging patch therebetween with the respective opening defined in each, disposed in coaxial alignment. The front and facing portions are then secured.

5 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 1 1 I972 SHEET 1 BF 3 FIGZ FIG. 4

m M R. 0% m m% z MU R @4 L N H OY J B ATTUREEEY PATENTEDAPR 11 I972 3,654,635

SHEET 2 OF 3 FIG. 1| FIG JOHN L. Cr-Q LYBW In,

ATTORNEY PATENTEDAPR 11 I972 3,654,635

sum 3 OF 3 INVENTOR JOHN CRUDEN m a ATTORNEY PIPED OPENING FOR USE IN A GARMENT RELATED APPLICATION This application is a divisional application of co-pending application, Ser. No. 739,812, filed June 25, 1968 and now US. Pat. No. 3,587,501, dated June 28, 1971, for Piped Opening for Use in a Garment and Method and Apparatus for Forming Same.

THE PROBLEM IN THE ART The manufacture of various garments as for example, suit jackets, coats, pants, trousers and the like, are frequently formed with the buttonholes and/or pockets which are usually referred to in the trade as piped openings. Heretofore the making of such piped openings required several manual operations which greatly increased the amount of time, labor and cost in forming such piped openings in the various garments. Generally these piped openings or buttonholes were first partially formed by high speed automatic machines of the type disclosed in US. Pat. No. 1,945,104. The openings formed by such machines were only partially completed in that the underside thereof presented a raw and unfinished appearance which was required to be traditionally hidden by another piece of material. Such other piece of material is generally referred to in the art as a facing. However, the difficulty heretofore encountered resided in the tedious and time consuming manner in which the complementary opening in the facing and the securing of the facing to the partially preformed opening formed in the front portion of the garment was performed.

Prior to this invention the opening in the facing to complement the mechanically formed opening in the front of the garment was manually performed. Generally an operator was required to fold the facing portion of the garment into overlying relationship with the front portion of the garment in which the partially formed opening was made, and by sense of feel locate the position of the complementary opening which was required to be formed in the facing. Thereafter the facing was manually cut with a suitable cutting tool at the proper point to define a complementary slit for determining the appropriately shaped opening. The flaps thus defined by the slit were reversely folded manually, and the facing with the complementary opening so formed reversely folded to cover the raw edges of the preformed opening formed in the front portion of the garment. The front and facing were then secured to complete the forming of the finished piped opening in the garment. This latter step of manually locating the complementary opening in the facing, folding and securing of the facing onto the front of the raw machine formed opening resulted in a tedious, timeconsuming, laborious, and expensive procedure.

OBJECTS It is an object of this invention to provide an improved piped opening construction which can be readily performed in a relatively simple and expedient manner which will greatly minimize the time, effort and cost of forming such piped openings.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved piped opening construction which is relatively simple and which can be readily fabricated automatically.

Another object of this invention is to provide a piped opening construction requiring a minimum of operation to form the same.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION The foregoing objects and other features and advantages are attained by a piped opening in which a die-cut or a cut-slit is formed in complementary portions of a garment and the marginal portions or flaps defined thereby reversely folded out of the plane of their respective portions. An edging patch provided with a similar die-cut or slip and opening defined thereby is secured to the formed opening in one of the complementary portions so that the respective openings therein are in alignment. The complementary portions of the garment are then folded and secured with the edging patch disposed therebetween.

The foregoing piped openings are formed by locating the positioning of the opening to be formed in one of the complementary portions of the garment by reference to a partially preformed piped opening formed in the other portion of the garment. This is accomplished in the open or expanded position of the garment. The die cut or slit is then formed and the marginal portions reversely folded out of the plane of the garment material to define a formed opening complementing the preformed opening in the other portion of the garment. The respective garment portions are then folded so that the complementary formed opening is disposed opposite the preformed opening in the other portion and the respective garment portions suitably secured together.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent when considered in view of the drawings and description in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary portion of a garment wherein the formation of a piped opening to be formed therein is illustrated in the initial stage thereof.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 illustrating a complementary opening formed in the facing portion of the garment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a fragmentary portion of the garment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 reversely folded along a foldline so that the complementary facing portion in which the opening was formed is opposed the raw opening formed in the front portion of the garment.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 and illustrating means for securing the reversely folded portion of the garment in the folded position thereof.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken along line 5-5 on FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the die-cut slit formed in the facing portion of a garment in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 7 is an end elevation view of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the facing portion illustrating the marginal or flap portions defined by the slit folded substantially normal to the plane of the garment.

FIG. 9 is an end view of the opening of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8 but illustrating the flap portion reversely folded beyond a plane normal to the plane of the garment.

FIG. 11 is an end view of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a view similar to that of FIG. 10 but illustrating the marginal or flap portions of the opening reversely folded to overlie the plane of the garment to define the formed opening in the facing.

FIG. 13 is an end view of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 illustrates a plan view of modified die cut for defining a modified shaped opening.

FIG. 15 illustrates a plan view of an opening defined by die cut of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 illustrates another modified die cut.

FIG. 17 illustrates an opening defined by the die cut of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 illustrates another modified die cut.

FIG. 19 illustrates a plan view of an opening defined by die cut of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 illustrates another modified die cut.

FIG. 21 illustrates the shaped opening defined by die cut 35.

Referring to FIGS 1 through 5, there is shown a fragmentary portion of a garment or fabric 50 in which a completed piped opening 51 is to be formed, e.g. a buttonhole of a suit, jacket, coat and the like. This portion of the garment is commonly defined as the front portion 52 and an associated facing portion 53 and, which in the finished garment, the facing portion is reversely folded about a fold line 54 to the rear of the front portion in the manner shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The facing 53 is customarily made of the same fabric as the front portion 52 of the garment 50.

In the construction of piped openings it was heretofore customary to first form an opening 56 in one portion of the garment, e.g. the front portion 52 to which an edging or piping patch 55 is secured. Generally this opening 56 was preformed by suitable known means. However to form the complementary opening 57 in the other portion or facing 53, it was heretofore necessary to fold the material 50 and by feel locate and manually form the die-slit or cut and then effect the necessary fold to definethe complementary opening.

In the construction of the preformed opening 56 both the front portion 52 and the edging patch 55 have similarly constructed die-cuts or slits formed therein and the respective flaps 52A and 55A defined thereby reversely folded and generally secured by stitching 58 as illustrated in FIG. 5. As noted in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the edging patch 55 is secured to the back side of the front portion 52 to define a raw or revealed portion. In the finished garment this raw or unfinished portion is hidden by reversely folding the facing of the garment into overlying relationship with the back side'portion of the garment front 52. By this invention the complementary opening 57 opposite the preformed opening 56 in the facing portion of the garment is made in a manner illustrated in FIGS. 6 through 13. With the front and facing portions 52 and 53 of the garment 50 disposed in an expanded position as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the complementary opening 57 formed in the facing 53 is initiated by forming a slit 59 as shown in FIG. 6. This is attained by locating the cutting means directly opposite the preformed opening 56 in the front portion 52 of the garment as will be hereinafter described so that when the fabric 50 is folded the complementary opening 57 will lie contiguous to the preformed opening 57.

As shown therein, it will be noted that the die-cut or slit 59 comprises a severed line the end portions of which are formed with short diverging slits as illustrated. To form the complementary opening 57 the marginal portions or flaps 53A of the material circumscribing the die-cut or slit 59 are folded out of the plane of the fabric along fold lines F1, F2, F3, and F4, to a position substantially normal to the plane of the garment portion 53 as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this position a substantially rectangular opening 56 is defined thereby. The flaps 53A thus displaced out of the plane of the garment portion 53 are further folded in the direction illustrated in FIGs and 11, to a position wherein the respective flaps 53A are pressed against the inside surface of the facing portion 53. With the complementary opening so formed in the facing 53 of the garment, the facing is reversely folded along fold line 54 onto the front of the material so that the marginal flaps 53A defining the complementary opening 57 are disposed in contiguous relationship to the patch 55 secured to the back surface of the front portion 52 of the garment 50. Folding the facing 53 onto the front 52 in the manner described, the opening 57 thus formed in the facing 53 is brought in coincident relationship with the preformed opening 56 defined in the front portion 52. The facing and front portions 52, 53 may then be either permanently secured or temporarily secured depending upon the nature of the next desired operation. In FIG. 4 the front and facing portions 52, 53 are temporarily secured, e.g. by means of a staple 60. Alternatively, the garment may be permanently secured as by sewing about the circumference of the completely formed opening therein. In the alternative, the front and facing portions 52, 53 may be permanently secured as by adhesively bonding one to the other. This may be attained by interposing a suitable adhesive between the respective portions 51, 52 or by coating the back surface of the garment with a suitable heat and/or pressure sensitive adhesive.

In the finished opening 51, as illustrated in FIG. 5, it will be noted that by reversely folding a marginal or flap portion defined by the die-cuts or slits, that no raw edges are showing.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 13, the die-cut or slit 59 by which the various openings are initiated is such that a substantially rectangular opening is defined thereby, e.g. opening 56 and 57. However, by varying the shape of the die-cut or slit, the finishedopening defined thereby may assume other desirable shapes. Particular reference is made of FIGS. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21, illustrating differently shaped die-cuts or slits which will define differently shaped openings. FIGS. 14 and 30 illustrate an I-I-shaped die-cut or slit 60 having the horizontal slit 60A extending between the opposed parallel slits 60B to define an opening 62, when the flaps 61 thereof are reversely folded to a position as indicated in FIG. 15, which is substantially rectangular with pointed ends.

By providing an intersecting die-cut or slit 63 illustrated in FIG. 16, and reversely folding the respective flaps 64 defined thereby, a diamond shape opening 65 as illustrated in FIG. 17 is defined.

FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate a rectangular die-cut or slit 66 which defines a rectangular opening 67.

FIGS. 20 and 21 illustrate a die-cut or slit 68 for forming shaped opening 69. Die-cut or slit 68 is defined by an elongated single slit 68A having adjacent one end thereof a plurality of radially extending minor slits 68B centered about the end portion of the slit 68A. When the respective flaps 70 defined by respective slits are folded, in a manner illustrated in FIG. 21, a substantially tear-shaped opening 68 defined thereby. It will become readily apparent that dependent upon the formation of the initial die-cut or slit, the size and shape of the opening may be varied accordingly in the finished garment.

The making ofthe piped openings as herein defined comprises essentialy of forming a die-cut or slit of desired configuration in a portion of a garment, e.g. the front portion 52 and reversely folding the flaps 52A defined thereby into overlying relationship onto the back side of the front. An edging flap or patch 55 is similarly die-cut or slit and folded so that the flaps 55A defined are disposed contiguous to the corresponding flaps 52A circumscribing the opening formed on the front 52 and the corresponding flaps 52A and 55A suitable secured together as by stitching 58. A complementary opening 57 is then fonned in the facing portion of the garment. This is attained by disposing the front and facing portions 52, 53 of the garment in an expanded position as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and locating of the position of the die cut or slit to define the opening 57 in the facing of the material directly opposite the formed opening 56 in the front portion by reference to the position of the formed opening 56 formed in the front and/or the fold line 54 about which the facing is reversely folded with respect to the front. A die cut or slit 59 of predetermined configuration is formed in the facing directly opposite the formed opening 57 in the front. With the die cut or slit 59 thus formed, the flaps 53A circumscribing the die cut or slit, as best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, are folded outwardly of the plane of the facing material to a position substantially normal thereto as in FIGS. 8 and 9. The flaps thus displaced are then reversely folded into contiguous relationship onto the back side of the facing 53. With the opening 57 so formed in the facing, the facing 53 is reversely folded into contiguous relationship to the front 52, so that the reversely folded flaps 53A of the facing 53 are disposed contiguous to the formed opening 56 in the edging patch 55 and the front 52. The facing is then secured in the assembled position thereof to define the completed piped opening 51.

The securing of the facing 53 to the front 52 may be provided by temporary securing means, as for example, by stapling or basting. If desired, the front 52 may be permanently secured to the facing 53 by stitching a seam about the circumference of the opening 51. As an alternative the facing 53 may be adhesively secured to the front 52 of the garment to provide the means for permanently securing the facing to the front.

While the present invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A piped opening construction for use in a garment comprising a front portion,

a facing portion disposed in overlying relationship thereto, said front and said facing portions having corresponding slits formed therein to define a plurality of flaps about the respective slits formed therein,

said flaps in each of said front and facing portions being reversely folded inwardly between said front and facing portions to define coincident openings therein,

an edging patch having a slit formed therein corresponding to the slit formed in one of said portions to define a plurality of patch flaps,

said patch flaps being reversely folded out of the plane thereof and disposed contiguous to corresponding reversely folded flaps on one of said portions,

means for securing said folded patch flaps to the corresponding reversely folded flaps of said one portion, and means securing the reversely folded flaps of said other portion to said edging patch disposed between said portion. 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the first mentioned of said securing means comprises a sewn seam.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the first mentioned of said securing means comprises a layer of adhesive.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said latter securing means comprises a staple.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said latter securing means comprises a fusion forming means. 

1. A piped opening construction for use in a garment comprising a front portion, a facing portion disposed in overlying relationship thereto, said front and said facing portions having corresponding slits formed therein to define a plurality of flaps about the respective slits formed therein, said flaps in each of said front and facing portions being reversely folded inwardly between said front and facing portions to define coincident openings therein, an edging patch having a slit formed therein corresponding to the slit formed in one of said portions to define a plurality of patch flaps, said patch flaps being reversely folded out of the plane thereof and disposed contiguous to corresponding reversely folded flaps on one of said portions, means for securing said folded patch flaps to the corresponding reversely folded flaps of said one portion, and means securing the reversely folded flaps of said other portion to said edging patch disposed between said portion.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the first mentioned of said securing means comprises a sewn seam.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the first mentioned of said securing means comprises a layer of adhesive.
 4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said latter securing means comprises a staple.
 5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said latter securing means comprises a fusion forming means. 